Before the Republican party could boot Congressman Rigell out of the party for pledging to vote for the libertarian candidate against Donald Trump, he quit the party.
“The wheels were in motion to remove me, so I thought it best to resign,† “I understand and respect the party’s bylaws and how they apply to me.â€
It was rumored that the Virginia Beach Republican Committee was prepared at tonight’s meeting to remove Rigell from the Committee and the party for statements on which we previously posted.Â
Esmel Meeks, senior advisor to Rigell, issued this statement,
“Faced with the decision for President, in which the traditional choices are between two-lifelong Democrats in Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, his conscience dictates that he votes for a fiscal conservative alternative, Governor Gary Johnson,”
“Because Scott refuses to support his party’s current nominee for President, the local committee was expected to revoke Congressman Rigell’s membership. Knowing that, Congressman Rigell resigned from the Virginia Beach Republican Party. While he is no longer a member of his local party unit, he remains a proud member of the Republican Party.
Congressman Rigell is not running for re-election.
17 comments
Interesting, that the party should be so selective in enforcing its rules.
What would happen if someone else, say…..Donald Trump, was subjected to scrutiny about his loyalty to party and party principles, such as they are?
I’m not talking about his decades of liberal/progressive/socialist/abortionist advocacy.
Let’s look at more recent behavior. Say, during this election where he continually threatened the party to run as an independent, and to not support the candidate should it not be him, and to not endorse other key Republicans who actually won office.
What a strange world we live in. It’s as if the body snatchers came one night, and removed all conservatives from the party and replaced them with mindless lemming pods.
I hear a lot from the newbies about the old stalwarts who built the party and America demanding too much “purity.” It is amazing, when the purity of their standard bearer is on full display.
The only purity problem we now face is the absolute demand that formerly thinking conservatives are 100% required to fall in line behind someone whom they believe to be totally unfit for any office, let alone serve as the ultimate apprentice in the Office of the President of the United States of America.
Such hypocrisy.
The big tent has turned into a circus tent, as is always the case when anyone is invited, and those who oppose are exiled.
Threatening something doesn’t matter. The party can only evict someone if they have acted on those threats. Has Trump ever joined the party?
Trump owns the party. He bought it.
And, apparently, he bought you, Jeanine.
“Threatening something doesn’t matter.” Wow. Guess what? Rigell only threatened to not support and vote for the candidate. The election is a few months off.
What lemmings like you don’t realize, is that conservatives who adhere to principles before party have been trying to get Trump to either transform himself (in my view an impossibility for a 70 year old bully who is used to buying whom and what he wants), or, to get the party to constrain him as a figurehead speaking when spoken to, surrounded by capable, trusted conservatives who would have wielded the power correctly. Harsh criticism, an intervention for both man and party, if you will.
Before you or anyone else starts howling, that is EXACTLY the business model Trump had in mind. Unfortunately, he burned so many bridges by his threats, words and ACTIONS, that the real traitor in this election, Kasich, was the only one left to whom he could make his sales pitch to be the backroom president. And even he turned him down.
More hypocrisy. Are there no conservatives left in the party, or have all either sold out or been turned out?
That’s funny since I’m constantly be accused of being anti-Trump!
You are what you are. What you do. And in the world of politics, what you say is what you do is what you are.
OKKKKK……….
And he’ll probably come crawling back after the election and the party will welcome him. Sad.
He voted like a Democrat, so what’s the big deal?
Actually he voted with his fellow republicans 90% of the time.. I live in 2nd district and have always voted for him. I am not sure what to make of him now. He started out fine but something happened along the way. See what happens with him in the next year or two.
I once took a National Association for Gun Rights hat to his office on First Colonial as a present but that is another story..
Interesting guy. He appeared to be very accountable to his constituents and he didn’t pursue a self-serving career.
Pure establishment.
Scott who?
Well, bye.
This is what honor looks like. Godspeed, Mr. Rigell.
Good riddance
We need more Dave Brats in DC. Lots more.
Give it time, Brat will turn.